Devil Hunt
by Mysteryguy12
Summary: The akuma no mi grant power beyond imagination to those who consume them. Such power is undoubtedly an act against god. One crew has decided that it is their mission to rid the world of devils. This is their story. Original crew. There will be canon peopl
1. Hunting Devils On The High Seas

Alright…so I've been toying with this idea for an OC for a while, trying to really fit him into the One Piece universe. I think it's a pretty neat idea. Now…don't write me off immediately because the story revolves around an OC and his OC (original crew). I plan to integrate other characters from the actual story as much as I can. THAT INCLUDES THE STRAWHAT PIRATES. So don't think you won't get any Luffy or Zolo, or Nami or anything ok?

So I hope you think I do a good job with my OC because I did my best to make him very One Piece-ish, with a weird quirk and everything. Please enjoy the story and tell me if I'm doing anything poorly so that I may improve upon it.

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Chapter 1

Hunting Devils on the High Seas

A tall man leaned back in his hammock and stretched. He yawned and sat up. The room was swaying slightly, but the man did not stumble as he walked toward the single wooden doorway. He ran his hands through his short jet-black hair and grabbed a large deep red coat from a nearby rack. One by one, he slid his arms into the sleeves and then reached forward and opened the door.

Immediately, he was assaulted by the harsh tang of the sea air. It washed over him and burrowed into his nostrils, swimming upwards into his brain. He smiled and moved further out onto the deck of his ship. The wind whipped through the sails above him and he could feel it soar around his ankles and calves, and his thighs. All around him men bustled up and down the length of the ship, tying knots and pulling levers.

A shorter man with long blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail and an eye patch rushed in front of the tall man, carefully carrying an eternal log pose in his hands. The raven haired man eyed him and then opened his mouth to speak.

"Michael!"

The blond haired man turned in alarm and almost fumbled the log pose. After he had caught it, he snapped his feet to his side and hoisted one hand up in a salute. "Uriel, sir!"

Uriel sighed and leaned down toward Michael. "Michael…what have I told you about being so formal? It's really not needed amongst crew members." He straightened up and spread his arms wide. "We're all friends out here in the sea! We all have the same goal, the same plans. I'm not gonna bite your head off if you just call me Uriel every once in a while."

Michael nervously looked at Uriel and then averted his gaze. "Uh…Uriel…"

"It isn't that hard is it?" Uriel turned around and began pacing back and forth. "I mean, sure I'm the captain, but you're my first mate, aren't you? Of everyone here, you're the one I trust the most to tell me things."

Michael anxiously pulled at his collar and gulped loudly. "Uh…Uriel…you see you've…um…"

Uriel stopped pacing. By now most of the crew of his ship had gathered. They were all standing around, watching the exchange carefully. Some were choking back laughs.

"For the love of god man, spit it out! Don't worry about consequences, I won't hurt you. I value your opinions and your views. You're experience in this business is almost as great as my own, and varied as well. Surely whatever pearls of wisdom you may spout off will do me good to hear." He smiled kindly at his first mate. "So Michael, what is it that you're trying to tell me?"

Michael was sweating now, and his face was flushed. He tried to look at his captain but couldn't and averted his gaze again.

After a moment, someone stepped out of the crowd that surrounded them. A woman walked forward. She wore loose, comfortable looking pants and a rather nondescript t-shirt. She came to a stop next to Michael and laid a hand on his shoulder. Michael looked up gratefully and nodded vigorously.

The woman smiled and flicked a stray piece of her brown hair over her ear. "Captain, first mate Michael here is trying to say that once again, you've forgotten to dress yourself entirely."

Uriel raised an eyebrow and looked downwards. Sure enough, his shirt and overcoat extended downwards but the clothing came to an abrupt end around his waist, leaving his legs and other parts bare. Uriel opened his mouth and then closed it. Then opened it again, said, "Ah…yes…" and turned and walked back into his cabin.

After a moment, Uriel emerged with pants now hanging securely by their belt around his waist. Around the ship, a loud chorus of laughter could be heard from his crew. Uriel blushed slightly and walked the length of the deck to the helm where Michael and the woman were now standing.

"Ahem," he began with dignity. "Now that everything is in order…"

The brunette raised an eyebrow and a smile twitched across her lips. "No thank you?"

Uriel winced. "Well…yes…thank you second mate Zofiel. I do appreciate being notified about…er…things of that nature."

Zofiel laughed lightly. "When are you going to learn to check yourself before you leave your room? This has been the tenth time this month." Uriel frowned and then decided to change the subject.

"Michael, how close are we to our next target?"

The blond haired first mate nodded curtly and pulled a map from his pocket. He placed it on a barrel near the helm and pointed to a small island. "That's Pellet Island. It's a spring island. Which will be a nice change."

Uriel's eyes glazed over slightly as he stared at the map. "And that's where the target is?"

Michael nodded slowly. "Well it's their base of operations so if the target isn't there when we arrive, he'll come back there at some point."

Uriel smiled softly. Zofiel, who was watching the captain, shivered slightly as the smile split his lips. "How many are there supposed to be?"

"According to our informant, the captain is one, he's the main target." He paused as he tried to remember all the information. "And then…there should be another one on board I think. Or two."

"He wasn't sure?" Uriel's voice cut through the sea breeze. Michael shrunk slightly under the harsh gaze.

"Um…no he wasn't sure how many there were."

Uriel sighed in exasperation and looked up to the sky. "And how far are we from the island.

Michael hurriedly returned his gaze to the map. "Well...I think by now we would be able to reach the island by…"

"PIRATE SHIP OFF THE PORT BOW!!"

Michael jumped in panic and then looked up to the crows nest. A single crew member was pointing excitedly off into the distance where a speck of a ship could be seen on the horizon.

"The targets," Uriel began, his voice wrought with a cold excitement. "They were pirates?" Michael nodded nervously. "Their flag?"

Michael pulled another sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Uriel. The tall man glanced down at the slip of paper and smiled. "The pirate flag!" he yelled to the crow's nest. "Is the Jolly Roger made of bricks?"

The man in the crows nest saluted and then extended his telescope. After a moment of looking out to sea. He lowered it and saluted again. "YES SIR!"

The man's mouth split wide open in a crazy smile. "Bring her around. We're going after that ship."

Zofiel's eyes softened. "Uriel…" she said worriedly.

"We're going hunting Zoff," Uriel turned and hurriedly walked to his cabin. He pushed the door open and reached inside, removing a long object wrapped in canvas. Enthusiastically, he ran to the middle of the deck and ripped the cloth from the object, holding it high. When the white sheet had been ripped away, a long, silver-blue spear shone in the light of the sun.

The crew of the ship stopped what they were doing and turned to pay attention to their captain. Gradually, the level of excitement grew and everyone could feel the adrenaline pumping as the ship began to turn toward the far away pirate ship.

"It's hunting time everyone!" Uriel shouted, his voice high and loud. "We've found our prey!" A cheer went up from crew. "And what strange prey we've found!" Another cheer echoed over the water. "Who would have thought we'd be hunting devils on the high seas, eh boys!" The cheers rose again. Zofiel and Michael were silent, watching Uriel as he worked the crew into a frenzy.

"Who ever thought that we would be KILLING DEVILS ON THE HIGH SEAS!!"

Zofiel frowned and turned to Michael. "It's worse than usual…"

Michael nodded. "It's been a long time since we've had a hunt. His hatred's been building."

"_BUT IT'S TIME TO JUDGE THEM, BOYS!!_"

Zofiel bit her lip and turned from the scene on the deck below, but Michael grabbed her wrist as she did. "Don't turn away."

"Why? I can't watch him when he's like this. It…scares me…"

"_AND WHY US? WHY ARE WE THE ONE'S TO JUDGE THESE SINNERS!?_"

Michael turned his eyes toward Zofiel and glared at her. "Is it him, or what we're trying to do that scares you?" he lowered his voice to a hiss. "Because if you can't stand behind Uriel with everything you can give, maybe you shouldn't be here."

"_BECAUSE WE SEE WHAT THEY ARE! WE SEE THEM FOR THE DEVILS THEY ARE! FOR THE UNNATURAL BEINGS THEY ARE! AND THE WORLD HAS NO PLACE FOR DEVILS!_"

Zofiel's eyes hardened and she shook her wrist from Michael's grasp. "Don't you _dare_ question my faith in him." Without a second glance, she stepped forward and raised an arm. "SO WE HUNT THEM!" Everyone's eyes turned to the second mate. There was a moment of silence before everyone raised their fists to the sky, their voices not far below, soaring upwards and echoing through the cloudless heavens.

"**TO CLEANSE THE WORLD!!**"

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Uriel's ship skimmed effortlessly over the water, tacking easily against the wind and coming up fast on the other pirate ship. Cheers and shouts echoed loudly from the large ship as it flew over the waves. Uriel had rushed to the very front of the boat, spear in hand and now stood atop the railing, watching the ship with his prey come ever closer.

Soon enough, the other pirate ship began to take notice of the Uriel's fast approaching ship. Shouts soon began to emanate from the vessel and after some time, the sound of a cannon firing.

The first shot went wide, landing nearly thirty yards to the port side of the ship. The black haired captain did not slow the ship or maneuver it in any way. Gradually, the shots grew closer. Each one landing wide or short, but getting closer to his ship.

Michael frowned. "They have a good marksman," he walked to the railing where the captain was standing. "Uriel…we may want to take more precaution."

"There's no need," was the man's swift reply.

Michael paused, unsure what to say and then spoke again, stuttering slightly. "But sir…in perhaps five more shots, they could very well hit us."

Another shot rang out and in moments, the projectile landed in the water near the ship, spraying the salty seawater up and onto the deck.

"Sir!" Michael shouted. "I understand your eagerness…but there is no reason to be reckless!"

"I'm not being reckless."

"Uriel!"

"Did you see the color of the cannonballs?"

Michael stopped. Uriel had a strange look in his eyes. It wasn't the fervor before the fight, or the relief after it. It was the look of a tactician. Michael sighed, somewhat relieved. "No I didn't. Is it significant?"

"They were red," Uriel glanced down at the paper that had his prey's flag emblazoned on it and then handed it to Michael. "It was red…like…brick red."

Michael took the paper and looked at it for a moment. "You don't think that they…"

"It would certainly be creative of them…if that's what it is anyway."

Another shot rang out. Uriel's face split into a smile.

"Let's see shall we?"

Michael jumped back and watched as the oddly colored cannonball flew through the air. It was going to be a direct hit, he could tell already. He hoped that the captain was right.

Uriel lifted his spear up and twirled it around his wrist once. He bent his knees, as though testing his weight and then leapt into the air. As he rose, he drew back the bright blue weapon. The cannonball hurtled forward, directly toward the dark haired man.

At the last moment, he whipped the spear forward. The tip clashed against the brick red projectile and there was a cracking sound. Then…

The cannonball disintegrated.

Uriel smiled wildly. Twisting in mid air, he landed gracefully back on the railing of the ship. "That's it!"

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There were no more shots after that. The sea was quiet except for the sound of wood slapping the waves as the ships hurtled toward each other. Uriel watched eagerly as they drew closer. Closer. Closer…and…

CRASH!

The ships collided. Without any orders or any commands, Uriel leaped from his place on the railing, soaring over the gap between the ships and landing lightly on the deck.

"GET 'IM!"

Roars of the opposing crew exploded all around him, but Uriel only smiled. They came at him, one by one, in groups, as a horde, but he knocked them all away. Most were thrown into the ocean, others landed on the ship, knocked out cold. When they had stopped, Uriel was breathing heavily, though not from fatigue.

"He's excited…" Michael said softly to Zofiel from their own ship. "It's been a long time since I've seen him like this." He turned to the men aboard the ship. "This is the captain's fight. He's been waiting. We do not interfere."

Aboard the pirate ship, Uriel ran around the deck, looking over the side and inspecting the fallen enemy crew. "Who can't swim! Who's drowning! _Who's unable to swim!_"

Suddenly, the sound of a door being thrown open could be heard. Uriel turned to see a large, muscled man step out from the dark cabin. He was very tan and wore no shirt. His eyes were deeply set and his other facial features seemed to be chiseled there as though in stone. He looked around the deck with a passive expression.

"My crew…" His voice was deep. "What did you do to my crew?" His voice cracked slightly and he sniffed loudly. "My crew!" Tears began to fall ostentatiously from his eyes like rivers. "I'm sorry guys! I should have come out first! I'm so sorry!"

Uriel's eyes widened. He lowered himself into a fighting stance and gripped the spear in his hand hard.

"You…"

"Aw come on," a nasally voice came from behind the large man. "If the captain comes out first, that ruins the drama." A small, weasely looking man stepped out from behind the captain. "But now that we're here…we can set things to rightssss."

The captain sniffed loudly. "Y-you really think so?"

The smaller man nodded and slowly, his body began to shift. His head widened and flattened and his body grew thinner. Within a few moments, he had taken on the appearance of a large cobra. "Of courssssse. Now let'sssss show him what you can do."

The large man nodded and with a grunt, his arms turned a strange red color, like brick. It was brick, Uriel realized.

"Bricks…and a snake?" He said softly. "Paramecium and zoan types…" A wild grin cracked across his face. "What were they, the Rengarenga no Mi and the Hebihebi no Mi?"

((a/n that should mean the Brick Brick fruit and the Snake Snake fruit…but I used a free online translator so I dunno))

The cobra-man smiled a reptilian smile. "Yesssssss actually."

"Haha…" Uriel began to laugh. Ripples of mirth spread across his body. "HAHAHAHA_HA!_" He raised a hand and extended a finger.

"**DEVILS!**"


	2. Powers

So here's the second chapter. It's shorter than the first, I thought that one might be a bit long. So this one has a fight in it and some new information about Uriel and what he does. After this, I'm going to start bringing in some characters that we already know about. You'll see what I mean when I do it. Look forward to it though. It should be fun.

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Chapter 2

Powers

The two pirates paused, shocked by the intensity of the man's scream. It was an accusation…but more than that. The larger man shivered. It was a death sentence. He was generally frightened. The large man took a lumbering step backwards.

"What are you doing!?" The snake man's voice cut through the silence like a knife. "Doessss thisss man frighten you? What do we have to fear? We've got the power of the Akuma no Mi! The Devil Fruit!" He slithered forward several feet. "What can a normal persssson do to hurt ussssss?"

The brick man nodded hesitantly and stepped forward with the snake man. "Uh huh…that's right. We can beat anyone."

"You ssssaid it captain." He smiled a reptilian smile. "Now then…sssssshhhall we?"

The larger man nodded and spread his arms wide. They stayed there, suspended like great brick wings and then whipped forward, smashing together and making a sound like falling boulders. When the two great hands came together, bricks exploded out from them, hurtling forward toward Uriel.

"Yessss!" The snake man dashed forward, opening his jaw wide and making a coughing sound. In moments, bright green liquid burst forth from his mouth, following the flying bricks.

Uriel remained motionless, grinning wildly. The bricks and strange liquid drew nearer and before they hit, leaned backwards, falling to the ground and letting the flying objects pass over him.

"BAD IDEA!!"

The snake man was moving fast, slithering over the deck as though he were riding the wind. When he drew nearer, he leapt into the air and reared back, hissing and spitting down at Uriel. His mouth opened wide and his fangs gleamed in the sunlight. "DIE!!"

The spit from his mouth crashed down on the deck, landing on the wood and melting through it like acid. Uriel laid there, motionless, still smiling as the large, probably venomous fangs flew down toward his neck.

"Hebihebi no Mi…mode…spitting cobra?" He asked, amused. A laugh escaped his lips as he lifted his bright blue spear up and held it perpendicular to the deck. The snake man's eyes opened wide as he came down on the tip, the point piercing into his mouth and breaking through the back of his neck.

His momentum carried him halfway down the length of the spear and when he stopped, he no longer appeared snake-like, but instead human, and very dead. Slowly, Uriel got to his feet and glanced at the corpse that adorned his spear. He smirked and whipped the weapon to the side, throwing the dead man from it and out over the side of the ship where he crashed into the waves and sank.

The large muscled man watched the last member of his crew fly over the side of the ship, dead and useless. "Sallan…" he whispered. "You…you killed him." Large watery tears rose in the man's eyes. "You killed Sallan!" He stomped on the ground and began sobbing angrily. "He was my best friend! And you killed him!" He took a step forward and raised a hand, begging. "Why did you do it!? Why did you kill my friend!?"

Uriel frowned solemnly and wiped the blood from his spear onto his pants. After a moment, he looked at the large man. "Why would a devil like you need to understand such things?"

The large man coughed. His eyes opened wide in surprise. "A…_devil_ like me?" He raised a brick hand and pointed to himself. "I'm a devil?" The tears fell from his eyes faster now. "I'm not a devil."

"You've eaten the devil's fruit though."

"_I'm not a devil!_" The man was breathing heavily now. "I-I have a name. It's Yuro. I'm not a devil."

Uriel took a step forward. "But you'll die like one." His voice was cold and merciless when he spoke.

Yuro shook with the promise behind Uriel's words. He stepped back in fear and then shook his head. "No…I'm not the devil..." he raised a hand and pointed at Uriel. "Y-_You are!_"

Uriel frowned for a moment and then once again, a smile split across his lips. He took a step forward, and then another. "Oh the lies that devil's will tell!" He began running, whirling his spear over his head as he ran. "Tempt me not with your lies! I will not be swayed!"

Yuro wiped the tears from his eyes and jumped back. "I'm not a devil! And for killing Sallan, I'm not letting you leave here alive!" Yuro raised his hands high, letting them morph into bricks and letting the rest of his body follow until he was entirely composed of bricks.

"**Renga Renga No Great Wall!**" He thrust his hands to the ground, pounding his palms against the deck and immediately, bricks began to explode upwards, forming a large wall, thick and sturdy. It rose high, higher than anyone could jump. The ship began to sink slightly.

Uriel watched the wall rise and smiled widely. "You've trained yourself well!"

Yuro smiled, sweating slightly. "My renga renga no great wall is the ultimate defense. Nothing can pierce it! I'm perfectly safe here and any moment, I can send it toppling down onto you! If you don't die from the falling bricks, you'll down with the ship!"

Uriel slowed, pulled the spear back and took a long step forward. "Nothing can pierce your 'greatest defense?'" He laughed. "Don't be a fool!"

In a fluid motion, he whipped the brilliant spear forward, hurling it toward the brick wall. It flew straight and fast like an arrow and hit squarely against the large wall. Instead of clattering against the stone, or burying itself inside the bricks, the spear seemed to pass through the wall. The bricks disintegrated as they touched the flying weapon, giving way without hindering it at all. In seconds, the spear reached the other side and flew out, burying itself in Yuro's chest.

"Wha?!"

The great wall of brick disappeared without a trace and Yuro fell to the ground, clutching weakly at the spear imbedded in his chest.

"How…could you break through the wall? And where did my bricks…go?"

Uriel stepped forward, no longer smiling. "The akuma no mi grant forbidden powers to mortals." He stopped in front of Yuro, standing over him like the god of death himself. "If left alone, such power can corrupt and destroy all that mankind has worked to achieve. There is no good where the devil has left its mark." He reached down and took a hold of the spear. Yuro winced and then screamed as Uriel lifted him up by the weapon.

"But there is one power that remains to counter the work of the devil." He ran a hand down the length of the spear, stopping at the man's chest. "A spear, entirely made of seastone." He smiled softly. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Yuro coughed, blood issuing from his mouth. "Sea…stone?"

"It goes by many names," Uriel continued. "For a long time, no one believed it even existed. But I searched, and I searched. And I _found_ it." His smile widened. "The Spear of Longinus."

Yuro let out a feeble cough before his eyes rolled back into his skull and his mouth dropped open. Uriel shook his head slowly.

"Ah…what am I doing, explaining such things to a devil." He turned to the edge of the boat and leaned backwards, lowering the spear. "Such a waste of words, to speak to devils, especially the dead ones." With a flick of his wrists, the spear whipped forward, causing the dead Yuro to fly from the weapon and over the side of the ship, landing with a splash in the water and immediately sinking.

Screams echoed from over the side where the rest of the crew who were still living watched their dead captain sink. Uriel raised his head to the sky and smiled at the sun, letting the wind rip through his hair and pull his coat back so that it flapped wildly behind him.

"Member's of this devil's crew!" he shouted to the sky so that all the pirates floating in the water could hear. "I have no qualms with you. You are free to leave this place." He turned his back to the sea and began walking toward his own ship. Michael watched him come and nodded. It was something that the pair of them had done for a long time now.

"Raise the flag," he whispered to a nearby crew member.

Uriel reached the edge of the pirate ship and stopped. "Do not think I came here to destroy pirates, or that I have any argument with pirates. I seek out devils, nothing more." He stepped up onto the banister of the ship as the flag from his own began to rise.

"But whatever you do, or wherever you go after this moment," he tilted his head as the flag rose. "Do not give in to the temptation of devilry. Because if you do, you will find this flag at your back and me behind it."

Taking a leap, he landed lightly on the deck of his own ship as the flag reached its peak. It was black, a pirate flag. The traditional skull and crossbones were emblazoned across the black cloth, but above it, a horizontal oval hovered over the skull's top.

A halo.

Uriel's pirate ship turned away with the waves, the wind backing the sails and sending them past the other ship. Without turning Uriel shouted one last message for the pirate crew he had just decimated.

"And let all other devils you meet, know that the Devil's Blood Pirates will come for them as well!"


	3. Reasons

I actually restarted this story and this was the point at which I really started thinking about stuff. I really want to get some good characterization. I hope you're liking it.

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Chapter 3

Reasons

The air on the Grandline was as salty as ever. The ship bustled with activity as Marines dashed about, keeping the ship on its proper course. The crew was serious, but most were happy to be out at sea. They had all loved Loguetown, but they had missed the ocean. Smiles lit the faces of most the crew members. There was, however, one man who wasn't smiling. Not that it's easy to make any sort of mouth movement with two cigars in one's mouth.

"Tashigi, take a look at this." Captain Smoker said gruffly through his mouthful of cigars. He leaned forward and tossed a sheet of paper across his desk. The younger girl pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and stumbled forward in an attempt to catch the paper before it fell. Smoker rolled his eyes as she nearly smashed into his desk

"It's a new bounty." He blew a trail of smoke from his mouth that spiraled up to the ceiling silently. "What do you think of it?"

Tashigi read it quietly, looking over the details carefully. "Uriel…a pirate?" He ran her eyes over the sheet and read aloud. "Uriel is the captain of a band of pirates known as the Devil's Blood Pirates." She blinked as she continued reading. "Uriel is a particularly strange case, preferring not to plunder or rape or attack villages. The Devil's Blood Pirates have not caused trouble to the World Government until only recently." Smoker closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"Uriel killed Ryu," he said softly.

Tashigi looked up sharply from the paper. "Captain Ryu?" She looked down at the paper again and read the lines that her superior officer had said aloud.

"Yeah," Smoker said tiredly. "Captain Ryu." He stood up and stretched. "He was a friend of mine. A strong man, and a brilliant captain. He didn't have many enemies." He reached down and picked up another piece of paper. This one had a photograph on it, and handed it to Tashigi who took it with a worried expression. "At least, no enemies who would do this to him."

"Oh my god…" Tashigi's hand flew to her mouth. She turned away from the photo and dropped it back to the desk.

"After Uriel killed Ryu, the report says that Ryu's men rushed him looking for vengeance. He killed them all until they stopped coming at him. Twenty six men died attacking him. But when they stopped, that damn pirate just turned and walked to his boat. Then they just took off." Smoker walked to a window and looked out over the houses of Loguetown. "You know what that says to me? It says that all that man was interested in was to kill Ryu."

"Why?" Tashigi was trembling. She had met Ryu once. She remembered him being nice. Very nice. All the soldiers under him respected and revered him. "Why would he kill him?"

Smoker sighed. "The Devil's Blood Pirates are a group of fanatics. They've spent the past couple years attacking other pirate crews, killing select members and then moving on. The Navy has kept an eye on them, not bothering to interfere because the victims were all pirates as far as we knew," he pulled a cigar from his mouth and blew smoke from his mouth. "They were doing us a service.

"But there was a very distinctive pattern." His voice lowered. "Of every pirate crew they attacked, all the known members who had eaten the akuma no mi, were annihilated."

Tashigi glanced briefly at the photograph of Captain Ryu's corpse and shuddered. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. "Captain Smoker, sir?" She said slowly.

"What is it?"

"Did Captain Ryu eat one of the akuma no mi?"

Smoker closed his eyes and took a long puff on his two cigars. After a moment he sighed and let the smoke drift out of the window and into hazy half-shapes that floated up and dissipated into nothing.

"What do you think?"

The room was silent for a long time. Smoker's cigars let out puffs of grey that rose into the air and circled by the ceiling until it faded away. Finally, Smoker sighed, letting out a great cloud of smoke.

"Tashigi?"

"Yes, Captain Smoker?"

Sighing even more deeply, the captain leaned back in his chair. He looked tired. "Justice comes in plenty of forms." He took a deep drag on his two cigars and blew out the smoke, forming shapes over his upturned head. "Be careful when you choose yours."

Tashigi watched the smoke twist and spin above her superior's head. She was always thrown off by the level of sincerity the captain could show. Setting her jaw, she swallowed hard and struck a salute.

"Yes sir."

Without looking down, Smoker raised a hand and waved at her. "Alright. You are dismissed."

Nothing more was said as Tashigi turned and walked out of the Captain's door, closing it quietly behind her. Of course he knew what she was thinking. But how could she actually tell him?

"Captain?" she said in a voice just below a whisper. "Are they going to hunt you next?"

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Eight glossy eyes stared down at him. They were tinged with red though he wasn't sure if it was due to the fire that raged around them, or some reflection from the blood that pooled around his body. Enormous fangs clacked together menacingly, but the many eyes staring down at him looked almost sad, remorseful. A hairy leg reached down and he could feel the bristly fur scratch his face. The caress was loving, but he could feel no warmth from it. He flinched away.

Slowly, sadly, the large leg pulled away and he could hear an inhuman sigh that sounded more like a hiss than anything else.

"Don't you see?"

The voice was familiar but at the same time everything about it had been twisted and perverted into something so foreign, it burned his ears.

"Don't you see? How can there be a god?"

He was shaking his head. It was wrong, what he was saying was wrong!

"How can god allow such things to take place? There can't be a god."

No no no! It was wrong. God existed surely as he existed.

"This power isn't from god, it isn't from anything. It just is."

Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong!

"It's the power of the devil!" he spat.

Something thrust into his gut and he felt the air leave him. Everything started to go black.

"There are no devils, no gods, only strong people and weak people." The pressure on his gut faded away.

"Remember that always, little brother."

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Uriel woke with a start. He threw his covers from his body and fell with a thud from his hammock. He felt a hand close on his shoulder and he whipped around, grabbing the phantom wrist and trying desperately to hurl his assailant away. In a blur of motion that Uriel couldn't understand, he was pressed up against the wall of his cabin. The hold was firm, but gentle.

"Captain!"

Uriel snapped out of his daze and found himself looking at Michael. The first mate was standing close and gripping Uriel's wrists so he could no longer move. After a moment, Uriel nodded slightly and Michael let go.

"You were screaming again, sir," Michael said after Uriel had straightened himself out.

"Was I?" Uriel said with a weak smile. Slowly, he moved to his hammock and sat down, letting his head rest on his hands. He rubbed his temples slowly, massaging thought back into his skull.

"You were yelling about Judas."

"Ah."

There was a long silence. It was a heavy silence. Neither man moved save for Uriel's continual massaging of his forehead. Michael stared at his captain, his forehead creased with worry. The nightmares seemed to have been coming more frequently now. At least once a week, Michael would hear the screams from the captain's quarters. The crew didn't know what it was. They only heard the shrieks of fear and pain. They heard him screaming for God, screaming to kill the devils.

In truth, most of the crew didn't understand. It wasn't their fault, Uriel never told them about his reasons for their quest. He was a fine captain, but the secrets he kept…Michael worried one day it might cause a rift amongst the men. Michael wasn't fooling himself either; he knew that Uriel hadn't told him all of his secrets yet. There was a great deal about his captain's past he had yet to learn.

"Come on sir, as long as you're awake, let's begin the day, shall we?"

Uriel remained motionless for a moment before lifting his head.

"Aye." He leaned back and sighed. "We're making port today. Let the crew know."

"Of course, captain." And without another word, Michael stepped out of Uriel's room and out onto the deck.

"Is he alright?"

Michael didn't flinch as he passed Zofiel. She had a habit of eavesdropping and by now he was used to it. He kept walking toward the helm and the second mate fell in line behind him.

"He had another one of his nightmares." Michael began mounting the stairs to the helm. He kept his voice low so that the rest of the bustling crew couldn't hear him. "He was like a wild animal, I had to restrain him when he woke up." Zofiel bit her lip. "He's fine now."

Zofiel hung back at the top step and lingered. Michael moved ahead and stopped at the helm. As Michael began addressing the crew, Zofiel became lost in her own thoughts. She had known Uriel for over a year now and it seemed that almost nothing phased the man. It was almost as though he knew nothing of fear. And yet those nights where his screaming pierced the night sky…it sent shivers down her spine.

"We'll be making port today," Michael was yelling. "Units C and D are in charge of restocking supplies. Unit B, look around for some information on new bounties. A, you're free to do as you wish."

The crew nodded and then continued with their activities. Not long ago, Michael had suggested splitting up the crew into five man teams so as to make jobs easier to keep track of. It was something that he had been a part of back on his home island. The wrestling school he belonged to kept a similar organization of students. The memory of his own home brought a smile to his lips.

"What's on your mind?"

Michael turned to look at Zophiel. She was nosy, but in a harmless way. He sighed and looked up at the great blue expanse above them. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky.

"I'm just thinking of my old home."

"The good old days?"

"The days before I knew devils existed." There was a bitterness in his voice.

"Would you have preferred to have lived in ignorance?"

Across the ship, Uriel's door burst open and the captain strode out, his coat whipping around in the wind the light falling softly around him. Michael turned back to Zofiel.

"Never."


End file.
